Portland-based artist and producer David Allred will release his new album, The Beautiful World, on January 24th via Erased Tapes. In his review of the album, KLOF Mag’s Thomas Blake noted how Allred’s music “…has often been defined by restraint and economy. He realises that a dash of melody or the merest implication of rhythmic drive can often completely change the direction or mood of a piece of music, and he handles that knowledge to startling effect.” He described The Beautiful World‘s music as emotionally complex but admirably light of touch and an album whose quiet power is little short of amazing.
Watch the accompanying video for his new single ‘Look’, described by Blake as one of the album’s “folky moments…with its gorgeous acoustic guitar bubbling under a saturated vocal. It hints at Phil Elverum-style confessional.” Alongside the single, Allred has released a self-made video featuring VHS footage from his childhood, which he described as an incredibly cathartic project to create.
He says, “The way we find love, hope and beauty in a world monitored by our tech overlords who we find escape from, in the things directly in front of us. Like romance and pizza.”
The video was made by David Allred and Fay Funk. Home video clips filmed by Rich Allred.
Unlike his previous works, The Beautiful World has one foot in reality and is deeply intertwined with Allred’s relationships, past and present, something the above video also accentuates.
The accompanying press offers and insight into Allred’s process of creation – For some musicians, a change in instrumentation, theme or learning a new artistic vocabulary helps them to move in a different direction. For Allred, a long period of introspection was more relevant to the development of his practice:
“I find beautiful irony when I consciously disconnect myself from working on music because it gives me more fuel and inspiration to engage in it more meaningfully when I resume. In the past, I used to work and create recklessly without boundaries which led to growth and success but at the cost of occasional disassociation. I would be checked out at times even while working […] but now that I make music less often, I feel like I’m growing with what I do, and truly living life more. And since I’m getting more out of life, I have more to say. These boundaries have given me greater access to the things that inspire me, along with a peace of mind and the ability to rest when I maintain this balance.”
The Beautiful World (24th January 2025) Erased Tapes
Pre-Order: https://idol-io.ffm.to/TheBeautifulWorld